


My Legacy

by QuietAlias



Category: Call of Duty (Video Games), Call of Duty Modern Warfare
Genre: F/M, Game: Call of Duty, Game: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29107809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietAlias/pseuds/QuietAlias
Summary: As Catronia Esmeralda MacMillian is about to be given away to her fiancé, John "Soap" MacTavish, Vince MacMillian sees flashes of her life. What it was like to raise her and take care of her. His Lieutenant Princess, reflecting on how hard it was to take care of her, but it was a burden that he took on with absolute love. He worked hard to raise her into the independent and beautiful woman she has become, and he could never be more proud.
Relationships: John "Soap" MacTavish/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Today is the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walking through the halls of the church, all the buzz from the soldiers that had become family, MacMillian gets misty eyed seeing Catronia in her wedding gown.

I walk through the hallway of the church; I’m going to go see my daughter in her wedding dress. This is a rather emotional day for me, well, as emotional as I can get, anyway.

My little girl is getting married, and it’s still crazy. She never dated when she was younger, showed no interest in romance whatsoever. Then, suddenly, that _boy_ shows up and everything before was different.

Her coming into my office almost eight years ago, this stupid smile on her face. Telling me that she had a small crush on the FNG. Skeptically, I joined Price and him for a drink and I couldn’t see it.

My Princess was falling for a scrawny, mop-top chestnut-haired Sergeant. He seemed intelligent, at least. What she saw in him, I didn’t know at the time. Was rather unremarkable.

After the bridge, as bizarre as that entire event was, they were the only two who survived. That came out to be a lie, Gaz, Griggs and Price didn’t die. The Military just thought we wouldn’t recognize Gaz or Griggs years down the line?

Though, at the time of it happening, they were all they had. Coming to the base to try to talk to her, she wasn’t saying a word. Screamed at me that she didn’t want to talk about it.

Catriona wasn’t a hard child; she was a rather easy one. Hearing her yell at me like that was something new, and I didn’t know how to handle it as I watched her walk away.

Next to me was Soap, and he began to explain that she wasn’t talking to anyone. Often just staring at a picture of herself, Gaz and Price. For me to not take it personally, that she was just dealing with it the only way she knew how.

He continued to let me know as much as he did, without her opening up at all. I took the lad’s words, worrying about her, but there wasn’t a whole lot I could do. She was grieving the way she was grieving.

But time went on, and before I knew it, a year had passed. I came to visit her again, and we went out to dinner together. Everything is fine, we’re laughing and bonding. Then she said she needed to tell me something.

It took her a minute, _“Soap and I have been dating for a year.”_ I just sat there for the longest time. In the twenty-two years of her life, she never had a crush, she never dated, and she never even mentioned the entire premise of dating. Here she was, telling me that she was finally dating someone, and it was Soap.

I played it as cool as I could, saying how nice that was. As soon as I got to base, I turned into a bloodhound, searching around for the boy. Takes me a whole day, and I only found him because she was standing next to him. If she wasn’t, I don’t think I would’ve ever found him.

I was looking around for a string bean, but Soap was no longer a string bean. I had never realized how tall he was, standing before me and he looked nothing like the last time I saw him.

He buffed up, he was a Lieutenant, cut his hair and now had facial hair. It was a complete one-eighty from the last time I saw him. Though, he kind of rocked back and forth on his heels, probably knowing I know about their relationship.

In front of Tweedy, I go through the motions. I accept the relationship, it’s so nice you two have each other, and congratulated their anniversary.

For a while, I tried getting him alone, but he was basically glued to my daughter’s side. Knowing I couldn’t be a cunt to him in front of her because she’d bite my head off.

While she was an easy child, she went through some rebellion. Which wasn’t pretty in the least, and I didn’t want to open that door again. There wasn’t any yelling, just a really strong silence, never acknowledging anyone who spoke to her. She just shut people out, and I couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t handle my only child ignoring my existence.

Two or so months go by, and by complete chance, the lad was alone in the pub for once. I watched for a moment, seeing if Tweedy was anywhere near him. I didn’t think she was, since he was reading over a newspaper.

Giving it a good ten minutes, I slip into the chair across for him as he began to leave. He looked at me for a moment, thinking he’d take off, he sat back down. We shared a stare for a moment, I break it with some casual talk.

Soap said he was fine, but Tweedy was sick with something. That was all I needed to hear; she would be asleep. She didn’t handle being ill very well, often keeping herself in a _NyQuil_ induced coma.

I could finally ask him the hard questions that he had been dodging. He was ready to take me on; every question was answered. Most answers involved my daughter in some way or another.

Upon the question of why he picked her, he had a small laugh as he sipped his scotch. Told me that he didn’t really pick her, that she had picked him.

Sure, he had a crush on her for a while, but he never would have done anything, afraid that she didn’t share those feelings and what it would do to their friendship.

Then tells me how they were alone, and she kissed him. She chose him. He didn’t know why she chose him, but she did. Nothing chooses Tweedy, she chose everything.

Here we are, almost eight years later and those two are finally tying the knot. My hand grips the handle to the door where she would be. I inhale deeply, opening the door.

Her back is to me, the trail of blue trailing down the back of her white dress, the silt from the middle of her back, and streaked downwards, gradually getting thicker.

She turns around, smiling at me. All her red hair was up in a bun, ringlets cascading next to her cheeks, with her bangs that she always has. The make up on her face was light, a bit of sapphire on her eyelids, everything else was very natural looking.

A veil on, just not over her face yet. Walking towards me, I can’t help my eyes beginning to glaze over. As I could see her in her wedding dress, I could also see her when she was five years old.

“How do I look?” Catriona asks, doing a small spin.

“Amazing, darling,” my voice tightens.

Throwing her arms around my neck, squeezing tightly. A small sniffle comes from her, “I’m so excited to see Soap, I haven’t seen him in two weeks.”

The two of them spent two weeks apart at Catriona’s request. They also had to be babysat to make sure they didn’t just throw the concept away. “I’m sure he’s just as excited.”

Dunn and Roach enter the room, “Do I really have to wear the flower tiara?” Dunn gestures to it.

“Yes,” she looks over, “I don’t have any female friends, remember?”

“I’m carrying the pillow with their rings,” Roach holds the pillow, “it’s just for the ceremony, you can take it off at the reception.”

Ghost entered the room next, “Going to look really funny in your Class A’s, Dunn,” he taunts.

Dunn rolled his eyes, “Still think the maid of honor should have to wear a dress.”

“If it had been necessary, I would have. And I still would have been able to pull it off.”

“Oh, yeah, a six-two Brit in a dress is just what all the women want, you idiot.”

“Of course, they would, but we gotta wear our Class A’s.”

I can’t help by smile as I look around the room, “I’m just glad every one-four-one member is in the wedding party. Even if you’re on Tweedy’s side as feminine named spots.”

“I’ll be the best bride’s maid of all time,” Griggs now joins us. He grabs the flower tiara from Dunn, “Gotta wear it, man,” he places it on Dunn’s head.

He lets out a sigh, “For Cat, I’ll wear this bullshit.”

Catriona hugs him, “Thank you, Andy.”

Ghost looks at me, “Where’s Price?”

“Babysittin’ Soap,” Gaz is the next to come in, “makin’ sure that he doesn’t go sneaking around to find Cat.”

“I think I’ll go pay him a visit, then.” I leave the room.


	2. Here Comes the Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they stand arm in arm, MacMillian and Catronia are in line. The line that walks down the aisle, to where he gives her away.

On the other side of the building, where the groom is waiting is quieter than the bride’s side. The groom’s door is open, and I walk right in.

“How’re you doing, Mac?” Price smiles lightly, “already crying?”

“Oh, shut it, John,” I chuckle.

Soap turns the corner, his colors matching Tweedy’s, but they’re reversed. Tweedy’s dress is predominately white, while the outer layer of this tux is a deep, navy blue. His undershirt is white, and his tie is a slightly darker midnight blue.

He sees me as he’s fixing his cufflinks. “How are you, Mac?”

“I’m good,” I nod, “excited?”

He gets a huge grin on his face, “Of course, I am. I’m marrying the love of my life,” he pauses, “she looks radiant, doesn’t she?”

“That’s for everyone else, but you to know,” Price walks towards the door, “since Mac’s here, I’m going to go pop in on the bride.”

I watch as he leaves the room, I know it’s not just to go see Catriona, but to leave Soap and I alone. When my eyes shift back over to him, he’s still messing with his other cufflink. “You okay, son?”

He nods, “Just nervous.”

“Why?”

“While I’m completely excited to marry your daughter… it’s just kind of an old wound, y’know… with the first wife.”

I’m quiet for a moment, “Not that I’ve ever married again, after divorcing Cat’s mother, but I understand that.”

“I feel bad about it.”

Shutting the door, “I understand, and I’m sure Tweedy understands. She vented to me the first time you told her about that, which was a little while before you two started dating.”

Soap sits down, “What’d she say?”

“I asked her about it, thought smoke was about to come out of her ears at any second. I thought she was mad enough to catch herself on fire. Told me what you had told her, and she went off for ten minutes. How much of a cunt she is. How much of a worthless piece of shit she is. How’d she rip her in half if they ever met.”

He smiles at the floor, “Sounds like her.”

“Then went on to say you didn’t deserve that, how nice of a person you are. That you were a great friend and person, then that cunt has the gall to do something like that?”

His eyes leave the floor to look up at me, “Your daughter is a one of kind person, Mac.”

“And she picked you. Knowing about who you are, what you’ve gone through and everything in between. Nothing to be nervous about, she knows you.”

A sigh escapes him, “I know.”

I sit down, “So, I’ve been meaning to have a one on one conversation with you.”

“Oh… what conversation?”

Smirking slightly, “You ready to be a dad?”

He coughs some of the water out of his mouth, “Is Cat pregnant?”

“No,” I shake my head, “at least, not that I know of. I mean in general.”

“Well… maybe not ready, but I know Cat wants pups. So, if she wants to have children, I want to have children.”

“I expect pups, John. Trust me, I wasn’t ready for Cat. Always worried that I might drop her, or I’d break her. The thought of having another human being needing you, helpless.”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing, I did nothing. The moment I held Catriona for the first time, I knew this was my child, my Princess. After her mom left, the sleepless nights for the first year of her life, telling her about all the things we were going to do, all the things I was going to teach her.”

“I became a dad because Catriona needed someone to take care of her. This tiny little piece of me,” I hold a photo of baby Catriona out to him.

Soap has a small smile on his face, “Even as a baby, that hair was bright as can be.”

“There is no greater love than a child’s love for their parents. You’ll never find any stronger love on the planet. I promise.”

The door inches open, “Am I intruding?” Ghost peers over the door.

“Of course not, lad,” I motion for him to come in, “just talking about Soap’s future pups.”

Ghost pulls a chair from a table in the room, sitting down on it backwards. Crossing his arms to place on the back of the chair, “I demand one of them are named after me.”

“What the hell makes you so special?” Soap glances at him.

“Ah, c’mon, Cap,” Ghost smiles, “just like a middle name or something. Both of my names are two different gendered. Simon and Riley. Boom, middle name for your first kid.”

Soap rolls his eyes, “I’ll be sure to bring that up to Cat.”

“Hey!” Roach pushes the door open, “I call the first name!”

“Oh, God…”

“Please,” Gaz scoots past him, “I get the first kid named after me, I knew Soap before both of you. Cat too.”

“Like it matters, fun boy,” Ghost snickers.

“Fun boy? Only in your wildest of dreams, motherfucker.”

“I hate you sometimes.”

“Gareth Simon MacTavish, rolls right off the tongue.”

“How about Gary Simon MacTavish, sounds way better.”

I shake my head, pinching the bridge of my nose as the three of them go back and forth. Arguing the reason why one of their pups is named after them. None of the points they’re making make any sense, but I choose to let them continue on.

“What’s going on?” Griggs asks, Dunn following in after him.

“Why their first born is going to be named after me.” Ghost looks over his shoulder.

“That’s not fair!” Dunn stomps over.

Soap looked at Griggs, who hasn’t started in with the others at this point, “Where’s your reason?”

He shrugs, “I’ll go to Cat with that information.”

“Well,” Roach looks at me, “we all deserve a name.”

“How many pups do you think Cat and I will have?”

Roach counts the people in the room, “Five or more.”

Soap stares blankly at the wall, “No, that’s too many. Five? FIVE?”

Before anyone can argue back, Price clears his throat extremely loudly, “It’s time, guys.”

We all jog to where Catriona will be, making sure Soap won’t see her before she comes down that aisle. I open the door, her fixing her hair for a moment. She turns around, “I’m so nervous.”

“If it makes you feel better, so is he.”

Her hands hold out the veil to me, “Can you put it on?”

I take the tiara veil from her hands, carefully wrapping the crown part across the base of her bun. Pulling the veil down for her, “You look beautiful, Catriona,” my voice breaks again.

She hugs me tightly, “Ready to give me away?”

“No,” I pat her back, “but I know you’re ready.”

Escorting her out of the room, we begin our way towards where the aisle would be, standing behind Dunn and Roach. They both turn around, smiling at both of us.

Ghost steps around us, “Gorgeous, Cat,” He winks over his shoulder.

Price takes his place next to Ghost, “Do we have to link arms?”

“Was about to ask that myself,” Griggs looks at Gaz.

“Yes,” Catriona giggles, “you do. Sandman is recording, just remember that.”

They kind of groan, “Do any of you four want to trade places with me?” Dunn asks.

“No, we’re good.” They four of them share a laugh.

“Get walking,” I point at Ghost and Price.

“Ah, shite,” they hurry to the start of the aisle, but slow down to slowly walk towards the end of it.

Catriona and I will be the last two to exit the room, watching as the other members file out when they’re supposed to file out. She tightens her arm around mine, a little antsy.

Given the two them haven’t seen each other in two weeks. Price and I both explained to them that she walks with me, and Soap doesn’t leave his spot. No matter how badly they want to run to each other.

Here Comes the Bride starts, us slowly walking through the doors and out into the light.


	3. The Sleepless Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Due to a turn in events, MacMillian now faces a daunting task, being a single father to Catronia. Something he didn't prepare for, but maybe he would've never been ready for it.

** Days Before Catriona’s Birth **

I’m hiding in the privy, Murdina has been so violent with me and I don’t understand why. This is going beyond hormones; this has been happening for a while. I’m at a complete loss as what to do since she is pregnant and will be going into labor pretty soon.

I am constantly worrying about our unborn child; it almost seems like she doesn’t care about her. Won’t even talk about what we’re going to name her, which we kind of need to do.

All I’m met with is how she’ll worry about it later, that this conversation will be held later. There is no later, she’s about to pop. As in, she can go into labor at any minute now.

I don’t think that’s something to put off for too long, but she won’t have that conversation with me. We’re having a girl, and I have a small list of names that I want to be considered.

When I brought her, her food, she didn’t say thank you. Not wanting to press her buttons, I just walk away from the couch. She then says that I’m being rude, not saying you're welcome to her nonexistence thank you. Since I’m used to this, I pay no attention to it.

Until I feel a plate hit the back of my neck, shattering as soon as it hit the floor. Shaking my head, I quickly clean up the glass and then retreated into here. I’ve never been this miserable in my entire life, though I’m trying to push through that, just for our daughter.

I have no idea where all this anger came from, we rarely had any issues. As of late, that’s all we had. When we found out she was pregnant, she didn’t seem… excited about it. Like carrying our daughter is a burden, not a gift.

Like she doesn’t even matter, and that enrages me. I’m scared that I’m going to be a first-time father, sure, but to act like she’s a problem to carry? I’ve bit my lip so much about it that I might as well've bit it off at this point.

Maybe I’m underestimating the power of pregnancy hormones, and that things are actually fine between us. I hope that’s what’s going on…

** Catriona’s Birth **

I look at Murdina in the hospital bed, waiting for them to bring back our daughter. I’m pacing, and she’s just flipping through the telly. Not an ounce of excitement, not even when they laid her on her chest. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with her, and I am not going to be able to handle this for much longer.

In one of those little carts, they bring her back into the room. “Are you going to hold her, dear?” I ask, the cart in front of her.

Her hazel eyes look over at me, “Your turn.”

Shaking my head, I pull the cart over to me. She’s so tiny, the little fluff of red hair, longer than I would have thought. Her eye color will take a while to change to what her eye color would be. I pick her up carefully, putting her head in the crook of my left arm.

A few tears slip from my eyes, looking at this porcelain beauty. Every shred of uneasiness and nervousness falls away from me as I hold her. This perfect little human being is my Princess.

A nurse comes into the room, “Any thought of her name?”

Glancing at my wife, “Have any?”

She kind of rolls her eyes, “Since you’ve been so obsessed with figuring out her name, why don’t you take care of that.”

The nurse is giving her such a nasty glare, knowing she has to bite her tongue. I take a few steps to the other side of the room, the cart in tow. I carefully put her back in, looking down at the birth certificate.

I fill out everything else first, her name still blank. Giving one more look down at her in the cart, and I write Catriona Esmeralda MacMillian. That’s her name.

The nurse takes the paper over to Murdina, so she can sign the mother’s name. She quickly does it, almost shoving the paper back to her. I give the nurse an apologetic look for her disgusting behavior.

The woman I married was no longer in this room and has been gone for months now. I have no idea what I’ve done to deserve this treatment, that I’m beginning to realize I haven’t done anything.

** Catriona’s Mother Disappears **

I’m sitting at the kitchen table; Catriona is _weeks_ old and Murdina is gone. She left in the middle of the night a week ago. I had to take Catriona to the hospital because I had no idea what to feed her. Infants need their mother’s breast milk, but she’s become such a selfish cunt, that she’d be able to leave an infant without food.

As far as I’m concerned, she no longer lives here and she’s not allowed in this house, which is mine, I’ll throw her out on her arse. She doesn’t _deserve_ to even know Catriona.

As much as I’m happy to be a father, and with all the love I have for my little Princess, she’s driving me crazy. I know it’s not her fault, that this is just how babies are, but she is. She never wants to sleep, like she thinks she’s going to miss something if she does. She’s fed, she’s healthy, her diaper is dry, and she just. Won’t. Sleep.

For the moment, she’s taking a little nap. I put my arms on the table, hoping that if I don’t move, she’ll stay asleep.

About forty-five minutes, I’m able to doze off, but she’s crying again. Sighing, I take her out of her bassinet and hold her. When I’m holding her, she tends not to cry, versus when she’s in her bassinet.

Her eyes are a little open, just barely able to see them. People tell me that I’m not supposed to hold her every time she cries, but I’ll stop doing that when she’s not _three fucking weeks old_. If she becomes ‘spoiled’, then fine, I’ll deal with that. I’m not going to listen to my weeks old infant cry.

Grabbing the bottle in front of me, I gently place it against her lips. For once, there’s a reason for her crying, she’s hungry. I slouch in the chair just a little bit. I’m so tired, I know that being a father is hard, but I never had a thought about what it’s like to be a single father.

Though, this is better than dealing with Murdina while taking care of her. At this point, I wouldn’t even trust her to look at Catriona.

As much as I’m tired, and worn out, holding her made this kind of easier. The small eyes looking up at me, I know she can’t really see me, but it’s still beautiful.

I can’t wait until she’s older, all the things I’m going to teach her, all the things we’re going to do. I’ve thought about training her when she’s older, to enter the Military just as I have.


	4. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though Catronia is quite the handful, MacMillian is able to keep up with her. Just barely.

I had an extremely rough day; everything is just going wrong. I finally was sent divorce papers, which I signed right away. I’m not stupid, I’d always make more than her, so I requested a prenup. Some people said that it was rude, or that I was expecting our marriage to fall apart. I’m glad I did it, she’s not getting a fucking thing from me.

Her and her boyfriend or whatever were doing things before she got pregnant with Catriona. I guess maybe there was a chance she’d be his, and when she saw the red hair, she knew that Catriona was mine. Her hair is brown, and the cocksucker’s hair is black. I think her looking so much like me was karma.

She’s being a little menace; she could climb before she could walk. I remember sitting at the table, hearing her saying ‘Da'. Turning around to see what she was doing, and I nearly fell out of my chair. Somehow, she was able to climb up one of the bookshelves.

I have no idea how she got up there, but she was up there. I had her in her playpen, which now I know she can climb out of. I’m bracing for when she starts running, her walking just moves her around until she decides to climb something.

So, I installed a half wall that she couldn’t climb out of. Nor turn the knob, prevented by a white handle cover that you had to push in two parts at the same time for it to turn. It’s solid wood, there’s no way for her to get out.

However, she’ll probably figure something out. Dealing with this, I know that she’s smart, at least. That she can adapt to figure out to get to where she wants to go.

“Da?” I hear from her highchair. All the cereal I placed on the tray is gone.

“Are you full, Princess?” I ask, picking her up from the highchair.

“Yes,” she nods, her Tweedy blanket tightly in one of her fists. She’s completely obsessed with Looney Tunes, and also Sesame Street, but Tweedy from Looney Tunes is her absolute favorite.

I place her in her playroom, switching the telly on to Sesame Street. It’s already rewound, so this is what she’s going to watch. She goes over to the small armchair made specifically for toddlers, which has Grover on it.

When she gets enamored, I walk over to the couch. Holding my face in my hands, my elbows on my knees. A couple of tears escape from my eyes, stress finally starting to get to me. I love my daughter very much; it doesn’t make this any easier.

Taking a moment gives me enough time to completely fall apart. I have the Military breathing down my neck, saying they need me to come back. That my expertise was needed back in the field. I keep telling them I can’t do that, that I’m a single father. I had no other family, the only family that I have is Catriona.

The guilt card they’ve begun to do with me sends my stress to a new level. Almost telling me to choose between the two, which of course, I’m choosing my Princess.

“Da?” Catriona’s voice is in front of me.

Dumbfounded, “How did you get out of your room, sweetheart?”

“You didn’t shut door,” she places her right palm against my cheek, her left hand running her blanket under my eyes, “it’s okay. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

More tears spill forward as I pick her up to place her on my lap. Tears of happiness as I look at her emerald eyes looking back at me. She also got my eyes, instead of hazel or blue. “Thank you, darling. I’m okay.”

She places her blanket in my hand, “Safety blanket.”

I slightly grip her blanket in my hand, “Thank you.”

“Welcome,” she smiles at me.

Standing up, I carry her back into her playroom. I sit on the floor, placing her in front of me so she can see the telly. She stands up, walking towards one of her toys. She pulls her wooden ABC cart over to us, sitting down again.

Dumping the blocks out of the box, the wooden squares roll for a moment. I watch as she starts placing them in, the first five blocks in, then looks to me. “A, B, D, C, E,” I read out to her, “that’s not right.”

Her green orbs look back down at the blocks, “A, B… C, D, E?”

“Very good,” I smile at her.

Catriona fixes her mistake, starting in on the next set of five. Running her finger across each block as she says it, “F, G… H, I, J?”

“Good job,” she’s such a smart child.

Her puzzled eyes glance over the blocks on the floor. Hesitantly, she picks up K, placing it to the box. “H, I, J, K…” she hovers her hand, “L… M, N, O?”

With a nod, “Correct.”

Catriona grins so big, she places the rest of the letters in the right place. The telly catches her attention, a segment of Super Grover pulls her in. She sits down in front of me again, “Da, look, it’s Super Grover!”

“I see that,” I place her blanket over her legs. She leans back, her head against my stomach. She’s really bright, picking things up quickly.

Running my fingers through her hair, she has quite a lot of it for being two and three months. Thick too, so her hair is usually in two separate ponytails. I think her hair is a few shades lighter than mine, a candy apple red.

I’m so thankful for Catriona in so many ways that I’d never be able to list them all. Her personality is starting to form, she’s such a sweet child. Unless the Military makes an exception and let’s me take her now, instead of when she’s five, they won’t have me for three more years.

The ball’s in their court, I suppose. I will never, _ever_ choose anything over Catriona, no matter what it is, I’ll never do that to her.

** Catriona Five Years Old **

I’m heading towards the daycare center on base she’s at, while I’m on crutches. Walking with me is my new protégé, Lieutenant John Price. He got me out of there after a helicopter fucked my leg.

Outside of that, Zakhaev is sure to bleed out from his arm being shot clean off his body. Clean shot by him, rather impressive. “I’d like to introduce you to someone,” I glance at him.

Price looks at me, “Who would that be?”

“You’ll find out,” I smirk as we make our way towards the building. He and I have known each other for quite a time, but I’ve been very scarce with who knows about Catriona or not.

After our mission, I feel like I can trust John. I mean, he only carried me to our LZ. If I can’t trust someone after they do that, then I guess I can’t trust at all.

Once we arrive at the building, he holds the door open for me. “You have a child, Mac?”

I only nod, going to where all the children are. My eyes look around for my Princess, her red hair that can be seen for miles. She’s sitting off by herself, her head down on her crossed arms.

I slip into the room, each of them has some sort of crown with a little panel of a character doing some kind of task. However, my Tweedy doesn’t have one on.

I clear my throat, she looks up. “Da!” She runs over to me, hugging my good leg.

“How are you?” I can’t crouch down.

Her eyes shift to the ground, “I don’t get to have my crown,” tears slowly slide down her face.

Going into defensive father mode, “Why not?”

She sniffles, “I didn’t color the cat the same color on each panel.”

“Where’s your coloring?”

“She ripped it up and threw it away.”

Before I go find that teacher to tear her fucking head off, I breathe. Sighing, “I want you to meet someone,” I gesture for Price to crouch down to her level. Catriona hides slightly behind my leg, “This is Price, he’s a good friend of mine.”

Peering at him, “I like your hat.”

“Thank you,” Price glances at me.

“Catriona.”

He nods, “Thank you, Catriona.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Mind keeping her over here so I can go talk to this so-called ‘teacher’?”

“Course.”

It takes me a moment to turn around, still getting used to these crutches. I haven’t met this teacher, but when I see her, a small fire lights in my stomach. Some old, graying hair, permanent angry crinkled face is sitting behind the teacher’s desk.

I hit my hand on the table, “I have a question for you.”

Her dulling brown eyes look up at me, “What did you need?”

“You want to tell me why you threw my five-year old’s drawing in the trash? Just because she chose to be creative and color the cat different on each panel.”

“Teaching them continuity.”

“Continuity?” my tone is sharp, “she’s five. You tore a five-year old’s work in front of her because she decides to be more creative than you’ve probably been in your miserable life.”

“Excuse me?” She stands.

“You’re excused,” I keep my language PG, “who are you to do that to a child? How are you a teacher? Just because life wasn’t kind for you, you’re going to take it out on a child.”

My teeth grit, “No wedding ring, nothing but an angry face and drooping eyes. Sorry, that life ran you over, but I will _not_ allow you to take that out on _my_ child. I will be talking to someone above you, letting them know what a miserable cow you are.”

She stammers for a moment, “How dare you?!”

“No, how dare you.” Looking over my shoulder, “C’mon, Price and Tweedy. Let’s get going somewhere else. You know, to a place that likes someone being creative.”

The two of them walk behind me as we leave the building, “Da, did she tell you why she ripped my drawing?”

“It’s because she’s eternally miserable, darling. She’s angry because life wasn’t fair to her. Trust me, I’ll make sure she gets replaced by someone who actually likes kids.”

“Okay,” she’s walking beside me, “what happened to your leg?”

“Little accident, sweetheart. Price helped me with it, got me out of a jam.”

Her focus turns to Price, her wrapping her arms around one of his legs for a moment, “Thank you for helping, Da.”

He ruffles her hair slightly, “You’re welcome.”

“Can we get some food, Da? My stomach hurts,” she rubs her stomach.

“Course we can, I’m feeling a little peckish,” smiling down at her.

Tweedy gets a big grin on her face as she begins to skip in front of us. I watch her, and it warms my entire being to see her this happy. Even if it just was for food. Food makes her really happy for some reason.

Price glances over at me, “Where’s her mum?”

Thankful she didn’t hear that, “My ex, Murdina, cheated on me around the time Tweedy was born. Not sure when it started, but I’ve figured out that he might have been her father. Ran off when Tweedy was days old.”

“That’s extremely fucked up, Mac.”

“It was. Fortunately, she came out a spitting image of me. Last time I heard from that bitch was when I signed the divorce papers when Tweedy was two. Wiped my hands of her and I haven’t looked back.”

He watches her, “Doesn’t seem to bother her. Has she ever asked?”

“Few months ago, since she saw other women picking up their kids. I just told her that sometimes there’s only one parent, that even though it was just me, all my love was for her and her alone. Seemed to accept it and hasn’t said anything else.”

“Come on, Da!” Tweedy shouted at me as she stood next to the door to the mess.

“Coming, sweetheart. I’m going to be a little slower than normal. Price will help you get your food, okay?”

Running over, “Okay!” She tugged Price with her by one hand.

Price looks over his shoulder, but he’s pulled into the building quickly. They disappear just as fast, making my way around as well as I can. Having these crutches are going to drive me crazy, and I’ll be on them for weeks!

The eternity it took for me to get my food was over, my eyes going over the building. One thing I really appreciate is her hair, impossible to miss. And there’s my little fire now, sitting in a corner by herself.

Takes me a moment to sit down, “Where’s Price, dear?”

Tweedy looks up from her plate, which is pretty balanced for a pup. Had some fruits, some veggies and of course, chicken nuggets. She is obsessed with those things, but aren’t most kids?

She sips some _Sprite_ in her glass, “He’s getting his own food.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” he sits next to me, “pulled me everywhere, and it’s hard to make your own plate while holding one and your hand is commandeered by another.”

Laughing, “Your plate rests on the crook of your arm, twisting your forearm slightly so you can pinch the plate between your thumb and index finger.”

He gives me a light glare, “Well, thank you for next time. I haven’t practiced enough.”

All I return is a small shake of my head, my attention turning towards my Princess. She’s sitting across from me, digging into her food.

Her eyes finally catch mine, “Yes?”

“Good news,” I smile, “since I hurt my leg, I’ll be able to spend more time with you until it heals.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Hooary!” Tweedy says it loud enough to make other people look over at us.

A huge grin on her face as she goes back to eating. I’m excited to see her so happy, just to spend time with me. Watching my child is one of my favorite things, especially when I know she’s happy.


	5. Attempted Theft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone no MacMillian ever needed to see again makes a return. Who soon realize that Catronia was only eight, but she knew how to take things into her own hands.

** Catronia Eight Years Old **

** Catronia’s POV **

I’m working on my math homework, we just started doing multiplication and dividing. All in all, it’s pretty easy. It’s not that different from adding or subtracting, just the sign changes. Not to mention we’ve worked more on multiplication, so all I have to do is that. Easy enough.

Then all that’s left is my vocab homework and a writing prompt. A hundred and fifty words to explain where I’d go, what I’d do and who would I speak to if I had a time machine. Odd question, but I’m not the teacher.

The _Nintendo-64_ is calling my name, but Da would get mad if he caught me on it before homework was finished. Might as well just do this first so I can play guiltfree. No matter how close I am to finishing _Majora’s Mask_.

A loud knock from the door startles me, making me spill my glass of water. Throwing my sweatshirt on it, I walk over to the door and slide my stepstool out of the corner. Using it to look through the peephole, I see two people I’ve never seen before in my life.

Da says to never, ever open the door to anyone I don’t know. Where is he anyway? He was supposed to be home over an hour ago. I know things come up, but I really need him right now. Maybe if I don’t make any noise, they’ll go away.

“Hello?” The woman’s voice asks, banging even louder on the door. “Catronia!”

How does she know my name? Those two have never been mentioned by Da, but they know my name. “Uh… who are you?”

“Oh, Catronia!” She exclaims louder, “It’s me, mommy!”

My eyebrows furrow, “My mom died after I was born.”

“What are you talking about? I had you with Vince, and I had to go away for a little while.”

“Well, you have to wait for him to come home. I’m not allowed to open the door, so you can wait.”

I’m answered with a louder banging, me stepping away from the door. “I just need to talk to you!”

“I can hear you through the door.”

There’s no answer from either the door or the woman, so I shrug my shoulders. They finally took the hint to come back later, and now I can go back to my homework peacefully.

Before I can sit down, I hear a window shatter towards the back of the house. I run into Da’s room, shutting the door quietly so they won’t know where I am at.

My hand shaking as I dial the number to Da’s cellphone. It rings three times, “Ah, sorry, sweetheart. I got caught up-“

“T-there’s someone here,” I whisper.

“Someone? Are you at home or at school?”

“I’m at-“the door swings open, “breech!”

The woman claiming to be my mother rips the phone cord out of the wall, “It’s okay, Catronia. I’m your mother.”

“Then who’s the guy?” I look around for an escape route.

“This is my boyfriend, Ewan. Your father and I just didn’t work out. I had some things to do, and now that I’ve finished them, I can finally be with you again.”

“Ewan? That’s a stupid name.”

“Hey,” _Ewan_ finally says something, “your dad might’ve taught you to be rude, but that’s not a nice thing to do.”

“Then what’s your name?”

“Murdina,” she crouches to be on my level, “I’m sorry, I had to straighten out somethings, but I’m here to make up for it.”

‘Murdina’s’ eyes are empty to me, there’s nothing good I can see. Can’t tell if she’s telling the truth because I look so much like Da. My eyes and my hair match his, as well as some facial features.

The only thing I can maybe see I got from her is her lighter skin, she has way more freckles than I do. Compared to the splatter across my nose, very lightly. Da said it looks like someone flicked a paintbrush at me.

“So, uh… can you leave?” I inch away from her, “I don’t want you to make up for it.”

She scowls at me, “Too bad. You’re my daughter and it’s my turn to have you for a little while.”

“No.”

“Don’t tell me no,” she growled.

“Alright, how about fuck no?”

This crazy lady hits my mouth, “You don’t say those words!”

I take this moment to full on punch her in the nose, making her fall over from her crouched position.

Running towards the door, Ewan grabs my upper arm and I sink my teeth into his wrist as hard as I can. He lets out a yelp, releasing my arm.

The gun I need is in the kitchen, under the sink. Da said it’d be an odd place for anyone to check. I slide over to it on my knees, grabbing Da’s _Glock 17_ from its hiding place. It’s cold in my palm as I release the safety on it as I stand up.

‘Murdina’ stomps into the kitchen but stops in her tracks as I aim the gun at her, “L-let’s be nice now, Catronia.”

Steeling my arms as I look at her, “Stay where you are,” my voice breaks slightly, “and nothing will happen.”

Ewan is the next one to come in, though he follows in suit with the crazy lady. The two of them stand there, their hands up and slowly walking towards me. Then the sound of the door being kicked in echoes through.

“CATRONIA!” Da’s voice is louder than the door being kicked in.

Da and Price run into the kitchen with their pistols aimed out in front of them. The two of them now had three guns on them, maybe now they’ll realize how stupid they were to do this. To break in. To even touch me.

“What in the ever-loving fuck are you doing here?” Da growls as he walks over to me.

He places his hand on the gun, “It’s okay, Tweedy,” he slowly pushes it down.

///

** MacMillian’s POV **

I don’t think I’ve heard this man say anything as I blankly stare above his head. I was supposed to be home by now, making sure that Tweedy isn’t alone for long. He caught me slipping out of the door, wanting to tell me how his last mission went. Like I care.

Price is standing next to me, giving me the same look I have on my own face. He didn’t care either, or he’s probably more upset because he said he was starving. That he hadn’t eaten in almost thirteen hours, and that he’d head over to mine after he got the food he was craving.

The sound of my phone ringing has never sounded so good to me, making it to where I can’t AT LEAST step away from this idiot. I can’t even remember what his name actually is.

It’s my Princess, who’s probably worried about where I am. “Ah, sorry, sweetheart. I got caught up- “

“T-there’s someone here,” her voice is quiet.

“Someone? Are you at home or at school?”

“I’m at,” there’s a loud thud, “breech!” The house phone hangs up.

“Oh God,” I shove the little bastard out of the doorway.

Price is running next to me, “What’s going on?”

“Tweedy,” I take my gun out of its holster, “someone is at my house, with my daughter.”

“Jesus,” Price pulls his own gun out as he trails slightly behind me.

The two of us run as fast as we can towards my home, which isn’t too far away. She’s going to be fine; she knows what to do if something happens. She knows where to go, how to protect herself. She’ll be perfectly fine when I get there.

I’m sure some people would have a problem with me teaching my eight-year-old daughter how to protect herself. Showed her how to use guns when she was about six, how to safely operate them and how to clean them. That it wasn’t a toy, and to only pull the trigger when it’s absolutely needed.

Now we’re working on physical defense, given that she’s stronger now. Tweedy isn’t a small girl, she really does take after me. She’s sturdy, with natural strength and was a few inches taller than most kids her age.

So, I figured she can handle sparing with me. Not using actual force behind my hits, just taps to let her know I got around her defense. I told her if she didn’t think she could, that she could tell me. _Bring it on, old man._ An answer that I would’ve given and an answer that made me smile.

Not teaching her anything too drastic, just what I know how to do. We finished Krav Maga, currently showing her Muay Tai. Tweedy’s a fast learner, and she doesn’t take anything from anyone.

Though, I made sure to tell her she doesn’t use _any_ of this on anyone, unless they’re making a physical threat on her wellbeing.

I don’t even bother with door, kicking it in as hard as I could. “CATRONIA!”

Sweeping into the kitchen, that fucking bitch was in my fucking house with her cocksucking boyfriend. Never thought I’d ever have to see either of them again, I could’ve gone the rest of my life never seeing them either.

Murdina doesn’t even look good anymore, it’s like she’s aged fifteen years in the eight years since I’ve seen her. Which serves her right, she deserves to age badly. She deserves everything that happened to her the moment she left an infant with no food.

“What in the ever-loving fuck are you doing here?” I growl as I walk over to Tweedy.

Tweedy looked up at me with her scared emeralds, the gun tightly in her hands. I knew she could protect herself, though she shouldn’t have to. Assholes shouldn’t break into people’s houses. Like these two bloody cunts did.

Placing my hand on the gun, “It’s okay, Tweedy,” carefully pushing down, “I got you.”

Price is still aiming at the two of them, “Breaking into someone’s house and scaring a child? How stupid are you two?”

“What kind of psycho teaches their kid how to use guns and swear?” That little fucking maggot lobs at me.

“Stopped you two cunts, didn’t it?”

I’m able to get the pistol from Tweedy, “Again, what the fuck do you want, Murdina.”

Murdina lowers her hands, “I just wanted to spend time with my daughter.”

My shoulders tense at her claiming _my daughter_ as her own. Tweedy was NEVER her daughter, she never knew her, and I would’ve NEVER let her know her. My child deserved more than that, not having to know a cow who abandoned her infant.

“You don’t have a daughter here,” I’m still facing towards Tweedy, “so I suggest you leave.”

“I just want to spend time with her,” I turn around to face her, “why can’t I?”

“Because you don’t deserve to spend time with her. You don’t to deserve to know her. Just because you birthed her doesn’t mean you’re entitled to come back after the shit you pulled.”

“Come on,” she takes a few steps towards me, “you can have another one.”

Price lowers his gun but keeps it tightly in his hand. Safety off, ready to fire if one of them tried to pull anything. He’s looking to me, glances down at my daughter and looks back at the two idiots standing in my kitchen.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You can always make another child, I can’t. I’m not able to carry another child, I had two tubular pregnancies and now I’m infertile. You can make another child.”

The audacity of this woman to just pop back into my life, trying to take Tweedy with her is astonishing. How does that make sense in her stupid little mind? Thinking that I’d just hand her over, just because she can’t make another. Which I’m glad she can’t do, so she can’t abandon another infant.

“How fucking stupid are you?” I ask, “You really thought I’d just give you Tweedy? Just give you _my_ daughter. That won’t ever happen, no matter what excuse you come up with. Catronia is _my_ child, not yours.”

Murdina places her hands on her hips, “I carried her for nine months, and I gave birth to her.”

I crack my neck, “You mean making my life a living hell for nine months? How unhappy you were while carrying her? That having her growing in you was an inconvenience. Showing no emotion when they put her on your chest, or how about when you WOULDN’T FUCKING NAME HER WITH ME?!”

Trying to calm down, “Then you proceeded to leave her because she’s mine. She came out mine, and not his. So, you left her when she still needed you and never looked back. You walked out that door eight years ago, you walked out from the life you had to go frolic with that moron.” My finger juts towards her little boyfriend.

“His name is stupid too,” Tweedy looks from behind me, “Ewan is a stupid name.”

Price stifles a laugh, “Sorry, but it is.” He understands the look I give him, making him clear his throat and straightens up.

“Well, look at how you’re raising her. She cusses, she uses guns, what else are you teaching her, huh? That’s no way for a girl to act,” Murdina crosses her arms.

“You are the very last person in this fucking room to speak on parenting, you abandoning, worthless cunt.” I snap back.

Ewan scoffs, “Sounds like you’re teaching her to become a little hoodlum when she’s older.”

I’ll throttled this cocky little shit; I can just tell the police that he broke into my home. They’ll buy it. They’ll understand why I had to kill him; he broke into a home with my child in it.

Price steps in between the two of us when he’s close enough for me to grab him. He puts his arm out, “Remember Tweedy, Mac, remember her. Show her that you don’t give in to taunts or insults.”

Clenching my fists, “Fine,” my eyes look at them, “get out of my house before I call the police.”

“You’re not welcome here,” Tweedy stands next to me, “we don’t let strangers in our house.”

Murdina looks down at her, “I’m not a stranger, I am your mother!”

“My mother died after I was born, so no, you are not my mother. And I wouldn’t go with someone who insults Da. He has taken care of me by himself, and that’s all I need. I couldn’t ever get a better father, you cow.”

All I can do is nod, “Get out before I call the police. If you EVER show up here again, I will not hesitate.”

“Nor will I,” Price crosses his arms.

The two of them stand there, and they keep looking at Tweedy. I hope they listened to what she said, so they know there’s no reason for them to come back. She doesn’t want anything to do with them, I don’t want anything to do with them and I don’t ever want to see them again.

Getting the hint, they both stomp through my living room and out of my door. Just watching them as they get smaller and smaller, still glancing back towards us. My eyes move to the door after I can’t see them anymore.

Sighing loudly as I grab a tape-measure from a drawer in the kitchen. I need to measure the doorframe because I have to replace it. Not to mention the door itself, which my foot almost went through.

As I write down the measurements, Price takes the paper from me. He looks it over, “I’ll go pick up the stuff to fix this… I think you need to talk to her.”

Peeking into the kitchen, she’s sitting at the kitchen table. Her face still frazzled by everything that happened, understandably so. “Yeah… I think so too.”

I sit across from her, “I couldn’t do it,” she mutters before I can say anything.

“Couldn’t do what?”

Her fingernail scratches against the table, “I couldn’t squeeze the trigger. They were walking towards me, but they didn’t have a gun themselves. You said you don’t shoot unarmed people. I couldn’t do it.”

“Tweedy, you did good. You didn’t let your fear cloud your judgement. You remained logical, and I’m immensely proud of you for doing that. I know that if they got close enough, you would’ve done what was logical.”

She finally looks up at me, “Really?”

I smile at her, “Yes, really. Did you want to talk about it?”

“Was that really my mom?”

“…Yes, she was. I told you that she passed because she left us when you were a baby. I didn’t want you to know her, I didn’t want you to think you weren’t enough,” placing my hand on hers, “that because she’s an awful human being, I didn’t want you to think that you were unwanted because I wanted you with every fiber of my being.”

Tweedy sits there for a few moments, “I don’t think I’m unwanted. You’ve never made me feel unwanted, so some strange lady isn’t going to make me feel that way.”

“You’re like a superhero, Da,” she smiles lightly, “you do the work of two people and you’re great at it.”

Not going to lie, between that and her telling that bitch off made me a tad misty eyed. Makes me think back to where she was a toddler, how overwhelmed I felt. How I didn’t think I was doing a good enough job being her father. It’s reassuring that she knows how hard I work for her.

“I need to finish my homework,” she hugs me before walking back into the living room.

Price walks into the kitchen, “The wood and door are outside. Where’s your tools, Mac?”

“Ah, it’s in the spare room,” I stand up, trying to hide the small tears.

He smirks, “She stands just like you do when you’re mad.”

“Huh?”

Looking towards the living room, “When she was telling them to leave, she stood exactly how you were. Stone faced, standing up straight as can be. She really is a mini you.”

“I never noticed.”

He pats my shoulder, “You’re doing good, Mac. You have a growing solider, and soon enough, she’ll be old enough to enlist like you want her to. Like she wants to.”


	6. Prom or Whatever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catronia is not excited for prom, as her other friends were. She then asks her Da if it was odd that she didn't think about relationships.

** Catronia Fifteen Years Old **

Trying not to eavesdrop on their conversation too much, I hear Tweedy talking with three of her friends in the den. Talking about normal teenage girl things, all excited over prom coming up. What they’ll wear, who they’re going with and all of that.

Tweedy, however, isn’t mentioning who she’s going with. Maybe it’s because she knows I could probably hear them. But she’s never really said anything… dating wise. Never mentioning crushes or expressing that she wants to be in a relationship.

“Aww, C’mon, Cat!” That’s Eve, I think.

Eve is blond haired, blue eyed and is actually lovely. She’s rather short, barely breaking the four-foot line. She’s definitely the sweetest out of her three friends and she’s extremely polite as well. Very bubbly too.

“You _have_ to go to prom with someone! Ian has been trying to ask you, but you keep shutting him down from even asking. He’s so cute, and you know that.” Bonnie says next.

Bonnie had raven hair, black eyes and very uptight. While she made it to the five-five mark, she was a fragile looking girl. Extremely skinny, not eating disorder skinny, but regular skinny. I think she’s the closest mediator between Tweedy, not bubbly, but wasn’t as cynical as Tweedy could be.

“It’ll be fun if you go with Ian. He’s such a sweet guy, y’know? Whom really likes you, by the way.” Finally, Anne.

Anne had dark red hair, and bright brown eyes. Anne… is a lot to deal with. I honestly find her quite annoying, she’s hyper and all over the place. She’s the closest to Tweedy’s height, coming in at five-sevenish.

“I just don’t know, guys,” Tweedy sounds irritated, “I know he wants to go with me, but I can go dateless.”

“No, you can’t!” Eve exclaims, “just say yes, okay? You’ll thank us when we’re there and you can participate in the couple like stuff!”

She sighs rather loudly, “Fine, tell Ian I’ll go with him.”

“Good! Just don’t say anything to anyone. We’ll make sure he gives you a ‘promposal’!”

“Okay, okay,” I make myself look busy as they come into the living room, sticking my face into a random book on the table.

“See you tomorrow, Cat!” With that, the three friends skip out of the house.

Tweedy comes into the living room, sitting on the recliner in the corner. “Da, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, sweetheart,” I put my book down.

“You wanted to be with my mother, right? You loved her and all of that?”

“Uh… yes. We were married when you were born. Why?”

She says nothing as she scratches the arm of the recliner, “I… I don’t feel that. Like, I don’t feel like I want to be in a relationship. All this prom nonsense is driving me crazy because I don’t even want to go. I don’t want to lose my friends, but I have no interest.”

Taking a few moments to gauge how to respond to that in a way that won’t irritate her. Never heard of this before, someone who has no interest in romance. Tweedy isn’t a normal person, so to speak.

“Nothing at all?”

“…No.”

“Hmm,” I look over at her, “if you don’t feel something like that, it’s not a bad thing. Maybe it’s just now, or maybe you won’t ever feel it. Trying to force an emotion you don’t have is more damaging.”

“It’s just hard,” she slinks down into the chair, “my entire life, I’ve had friends who talk about crushes. I’ve had guys crushing on me, and I completely missed it every time. Sometimes I thought about just faking it, but I couldn’t do it.”

“I can tell them you can’t go. Instead, we could go to the base and work on your shooting at the range.”

Perking up slightly, “Everyone is making it out to be this big thing. Did you go to yours?”

“I did. It wasn’t anything too spectacular. Just a bunch of teens dressed up, dancing in a room with loud music. Though, I think it’s different for women, they seem to get in a big tizzy about it.”

“I don’t know… I don’t want to lie to my friends.”

I sip some of my water, “It’s entirely up to you, sweetheart.”

Tweedy looks back towards her bedroom, “I had to suffer through getting that dress and shoes… I think I’ll go, but when I text ‘mood’, please call and say I had to be picked up right now.”

All I do is smirk, “Course.”

///

Sitting the living room, working on some paperwork I need to catch up on. Tweedy’s friends will be here any minute to pick her up for prom.

Turns out that Ian had asked someone else between when the girls were here and whenever they told him that Tweedy would go. It didn’t upset her in the slightest, but she said she suffered for three hours to pick out the ‘stupid’ dress, so she’s going.

Her door creaks open, making me look up. I smile softly at her as she walks into the living room, picking at parts of her dress.

Tweedy is wearing an Ebony off the shoulder strapless tulle, she raises the bottom slightly to show off her knee-high boots.

While her hair was in a high ponytail, straightened instead of leaving her waves in. Her bangs stopped right above her eyes, slightly curled against her forehead.

Makeup was light, with some silver on her eyelids. Pretty simple cat eye and finished off with a deep wine-red matte. She didn’t like wearing makeup nor putting it on, so I’m surprised she went all out with it.

“How do I look?” She twirls around.

“Amazing, darling,” I grab the camera I was hiding behind my chair.

“Oh, come on!” Tweedy stomps her foot.

Shaking my head, “Hush and smile. The longer you take, the more pictures I’m going to take, young lady.”

Defeated, she smiles and places her hands on her hips. Needing to make sure you could see her attitude through the photo. I’m able to get a couple until the front door opens.

Price glances around the room, “You look gorgeous, Tweedy,” he compliments as he walks to sit down.

“Thank you, uncle Price.”

“How come you picked black?”

“To rebel as much as I can against the whole idea of proms,” she shrugs.

Shortly after that, there was a quick knocking on the front door. A knock I knew because her friend Anne annoys me more than the other two. She’s just too hyper for me, I suppose.

The door swings open, “You look beautiful, Cat!”

“Thank you,” Tweedy rushes towards the door.

“Ah, ah, ah!” I scold her, “I get one with you and your friends.”

“…oi…”

While Tweedy wasn’t photogenic, her friends extremely are. Trying to contain the laughter I have as they shift her into different poses, her annoyance very apparent on her face. It becoming more intense when they can’t see it, which makes Price chuckle as well.

“Alright, alright! Love you, bye!” Tweedy quickly escorts the four of them outside, so that they could finally leave for the prom.

“Didn’t see her as someone who’d be interested in prom,” Price slides his boots off.

“Oh, she’s not. She’s only going because her friends made her go dress shopping for three hours and that she didn’t want to let them down either,” I put the camera away somewhere Tweedy won’t be able to find it.

“Code word, I take it?”

“Aye, it’s ‘mood’ through a text.”

///

It’s nearly midnight, and Tweedy is still out with her friends. I know she’s safe and all, but I can’t sleep without knowing that she’s home. That she’s out doing who knows what, at who knows where.

The front door opens, and she walks in. Rubbing her eyes, “Thank God,” she locked the door behind her.

“How’d it go, sweetheart?”

“Ugh,” taking her boots off, “so Ian made a huge scene because he saw me dancing with Blair. Like, it’s none of your business, eejit, you didn’t ask me to come with you. He was watching me the entire night, and I danced with a couple different guy friends.”

This is the first time that Tweedy spoke like an actual teenager. Sometimes I forget that she’s only fifteen, but I digress. “Why’d Blair set him off?”

“Well, apparently, the girl he brought, her name is Talia, recently broke up with Blair. Why, I don’t know, and I don’t really care to know. So, basically, Ian was a rebound ask to make Blair jealous. Ian and Blair hate each other. Blair was all thankful that she broke it off because he didn’t have the heart to.”

Her head shakes, “So, he and I are dancing. Not even close dancing, just normal dancing. The exact same way he danced with Talia, and the exact same way that everyone else was dancing. Then he gets into a big old huff, shoving people out of his way towards us.”

“It was so mortifying, he started yelling in the middle OF THE ROOM at us. Calling Blair every name under the sun, then telling me that he would’ve asked me, but I blew him off. That I was secretly going with Blair the whole time. I showed up alone! I danced with a lot of people! This gowk was off his rocker!”

“Sounds like it,” I’m actually glad to hear _some_ teen talk from her, even if it was just this once.

“Everything just keeps getting worse because now Talia decided to join in and started verbally attacking me. You’re the one who dumped him, you fucking cow! And you have the audacity to insult me because I DANCED with him? No, no fucking way, you hag.”

“She and I get into it, and I bring up how her date wanted to come here with me. Screaming in my face, doing everything within my power to not punch her in her stupid face. Couldn’t even understand her after I brought up being the runner up to me, she started screeching like a banshee!”

“Then the teachers finally intervene, separating all of us. Eve, Anne, and Bonnie were completely done with everything. So, them, their three dates and I went to a restaurant. That was the fun part. All in all, glad I went.”

“Well, I’m glad you had fun and I’m glad that you kept your temper in check.”

“Barely,” she mutters, “just barely.”


	7. Tone It Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MacMillian's heartbreaks when he has to tell his pride and joy that... she was too good of a shot, and the baby rookies couldn't handle it. Especially not a Major's son.

** Catronia Almost Seventeen **

I proudly watch Tweedy show up some new recruits at the shooting range. Any type of gun they want to use, she’s topped them. Brought a tear to my eye when they wanted to use snipers, which is the biggest way she kicked their arses. Didn’t even see it coming, not knowing how I’ve trained her.

Course, she’s almost seventeen and then will be able to really enlist. For now, it’s just my daughter showing up the recruits. All male recruits, I might add. None of which took too kindly to her showing them up like that. She goes easy on no one, how I raised her.

They shouldn’t have expected to have their hands held and be prepped to be humiliated by someone who would always… out-solider them, no matter how hard they trained. That’s Tweedy’s entire life, learning how to use guns, how to fight, how to lead and how to stand tall, no matter how much you might be afraid. Making sure to instill my confidence, no faltering.

Tweedy’s laugh bounces towards me as she comes up the stairs, “Did you see that? They hate me, it’s hilarious.”

“They hate you because they can’t keep up with you,” I pat her shoulder, “real soldiers won’t hate you, but will be glad to have someone as skilled as you next to them.”

“God, I hope so. The clock is getting closer to midnight, though. Soon, I will be a _real_ soldier. Maybe it’ll hurt less when I run them over like that.”

“The eleventh hour,” placing my hands behind my back, “ready for lunch?”

“Always,” she smiles as she follows behind me.

We don’t get very far before Price is jogging towards me. How does that lad know where I am all the time? It’s weird.

“Lunch?” He asks.

“That’s where we’re heading now.”

“I’ll walk with Tweedy,” he gestures for her to go, “Adan wants to speak to you. I tried to find out why, but he said this was a discussion between you two.”

Can’t help raising my eyebrow, “That’s odd. He knew where I was, why’d he ask you to get me?”

“No idea, I was making my way towards the mess. He was leaving, grabs my arm, and told me to tell you to get to his office right away. Man’s a cunt, Mac.”

“Guess I’ll catch up after my meeting with that man.”

The two of them nod as they continue to their destination and I begin to rack my brain. What did I do? Have I even done anything recently? Haven’t gone out into the field for two weeks now, mainly doing some paperwork. Nothing to debrief, so I’m a bit perplexed as to why he wanted to speak with me.

But Price had a point, Adan was a cunt. An annoying one, with passive aggressive comments and backhanded compliments. He and I are the same rank, so where does he get off on having me ‘summoned’? That ego of his is going to get him bit one day, and it won’t be me. I won’t give him the satisfaction of me being the one to do it.

We don’t like each other, at all. I don’t think we ever did; well, I never did. Adan’s the one who disrespected me first, while all I did was treat him as another soldier. If you disrespect me, then don’t be mad when I turn around and do the same exact thing to do. God, I hate this man.

Tucking all my disdain away behind my mask of responsibility, and I open the door. I know he gets mad when people don’t knock, but here I am, not caring about it. “You needed to speak with me, Adan?”

“Yeah, how’re you doing, Mac?” Adan, that little pissant. These beady black eyes, and obviously badly dyed blond hair. How he doesn’t see how stupid it looks is beyond me. With that squeaky, rat sounding voice that made me think his balls never dropped.

“Good, and you?” I sit down across from him.

“I’m good,” his hands place on his desk, “but McCarthy wanted me to relay something to you.”

Great, McCarthy is an annoying idiot too. Unfortunately, that’s _Major_ McCarthy. “Oh?”

“So, his son turned eighteen recently and he’s been put here for training. FNG, you know the dance. Been here for a month or so.”

I’m failing to see the point, “That’s nice, but, uh, what does that have to do with me?”

Adan clears his throat, “His son, Liam, has been having some issues while on the range. Quite a bothersome one, from what I hear.”

“Not good with guns or what?” Can you get to the point, you cunt?

“Well,” his smile is starting to piss me off, “a handful of the new recruits are having an issue. The same exact issue, to boot.”

“…”

“A very loud, vain, redheaded issue.”

I stand up, “Get to the fucking point, boy.”

Would love to enjoy him flinching as my chair flew backwards from how fast I stood up. But I can’t. Not when he’s clearly speaking about my child.

Adan puts his hands up defensively, “Since Liam is McCarthy’s son and there are other complaints, your daughter, as lovely as she is, is making them feel…”

“Bad? Like losers? They can’t handle competition?”

“Inferior was the word McCarthy used, and as they are freshly new to this, they don’t need to feel like that.”

“What is it I’m meant to do?”

“Maybe keep her off the range while they’re in there?”

Shaking my head, “What’s that going to do? Catronia is going to be enlisted just like them in the next few weeks. Then what? Will she have to tone down her skill so the baby boys can compete with her?”

“If you want McCarthy to come down himself, then don’t say anything about it. It’d look bad if Catronia is already on his bad list before she’s even a real soldier,” he shrugs, “could cause issues for her down the line. Issues that daddy wouldn’t be able to do anything about.”

“Alright, for one, if you continue to condescend towards me, you and I can take this right the fuck outside. For two, McCarthy won’t look very good degrading a new recruit because she’s better than his fetus. For Three, the moment my daughter is in uniform, she becomes a soldier to me. I will treat her that way, unlike McCarthy babying his little brat.”

“McCarthy can get away with stuff like that, however, _Mac_ ¸ you can’t,” Adan glares at me, “either tell her to cool it, or McCarthy will deal with you and your insubordinate actions will be punished. Trying to help you here.”

Gritting my teeth, I leave his office and slam the door as hard as I can. How dare he threaten me. How dare MCCARTHY threaten me. It’s not my fault his kid sucks and mine doesn’t.

Going through the military like that, being babied and being made to feel so special is going to turn badly in Liam’s favor.

Because, let me tell you, other soldiers won’t put up with that kind of bullshit either. There’s no room for that kind of thing in a military and Liam will be taught that.

It’s going to be a painful lesson to learn, I’m sure. I’ve seen what happens when someone leaves a bunch of rookies alone with someone like Liam.

And I’m sure this is an issue because Tweedy _is_ my daughter. He doesn’t like me much either, I made an off comment about his son when I wasn’t aware it was his son.

Not like I apologized, shrugged it away. The off comment was him attempting to flirt with my daughter a year or so ago.

Tweedy didn’t reciprocate any of it, tried making him understand that she wasn’t interested in the nicest way she could. She watched her tongue more while on base, since she didn’t know who was related to whom. Dumb pup kept on, no matter how little interest she returned.

So, joking with Price, said that the boy was barking up the wrong tree. That she’d never flirt back or even entertain him. McCarthy heard it and had a huff or so. Doesn’t know that _no_ boy would get it back, since she’s never showed interest it. Took it the wrong way, acted like a kid, so I just moved on and let it go.

Adan and him were two of the biggest cunts I’ve met while serving, how McCarthy made Major, I’ll never know.

///

Still at a loss at how I’m supposed to tell Tweedy what Adan wanted. She’s been pestering me about it, as was Price. Sometimes, that lad was a bit immature as he was doing the same thing. Told Price I’d tell him tomorrow, since I needed to make sure she knew nothing about it.

I walk into her room, and she’s on her beanbag chair. Couldn’t see her face as it was behind her book of the week, and I do mean _week_ , _‘Julie and the Wolves’_. “Tweedy?”

She sets her book down, “Yes?”

“I… I need to talk to you about something,” I sit down on her desk chair.

“What about? Is this about Adan?”

“Yeah… you remember Liam?”

She snorts slightly, “That blond kid who couldn’t take a hint?”

“Yeah, well, that’s McCarthy’s son, apparently.”

“That explains a lot.”

I feel like literal scum right now, what I’m going to tell her goes against everything I raised her by. Prepared her to be who she is, and here I was, telling her to calm down about it because some cunt can’t handle her being better than him. Or the other cunts who think the same thing.

“You… well… see…” Can’t find the words to tell her this.

Tweedy sits up in her beanbag chair, “Me what?”

Sighing, “Liam and some of the other recruits have… complained… about you.”

“Excuse me?” Her eyebrows furrow, “I didn’t do or say anything.”

“No, you didn’t, but… they didn’t appreciate you showing them up for the pass few weeks. And Liam complained to his ‘daddy’.”

“And this is my problem because…”

It’s extremely hard as she holds eye contact with me, and I’m still searching for a way to explain this without it sounding bad. This could make her question everything I raised her to believe. I didn’t think a military brat would challenge her.

“When you’re at the range, you need to… tone it down… a smidge.”

“Tone it down? Tone what down?” Tweedy growls, standing up sharply.

“Your skill, sweetheart. Makes the new recruits feel bad, and McCarthy thinks that’s not a good thing to do to them.”

“What the fuck am I supposed to do when I enlist? I’m not going to pretend I’m some idiot who couldn’t handle a gun. I’m not doing that!”

I stand, “I understand how stupid this is, and that those boys need to grow a pair of bollocks. But having an issue with a Major is a bad thing to have as a new recruit, Catronia. Not to mention the threats I’m getting, considering punishment that could affect me ranking up any further.”

Tweedy stands there, staring at me. Her breathing became more rapid, “Get out of my room.”

“Sweet- “

“OUT OF MY ROOM!” She yells at me, slamming the door in my face once I oblige.

Probably not the best time to bring it up, but I can hear my yell in hers.

///

I can’t take it anymore, Tweedy has gone an entire week without speaking to me. Or acknowledging me in anyway and it’s killing me. It’s like an icebox when I’m around her, something that I can’t handle. She wouldn’t even say anything when I congratulated her after enlistment.

She spoke a few words to Price, very few, but he told me all the same. He said he had asked her why she wasn’t going to the range as much a day or so ago.

Tweedy told him what was the point of going in there. All that would happen is either she swallows her pride and bows down to their childish behaviors, or she keeps doing what she was doing and gets in trouble anyway.

Tweedy refused to swallow her pride, so I know she’ll just avoid going in there when there are other people. I’m disgusted with myself. My daughter is strong enough to stand up for herself, while I swallowed my pride after speaking with Adan.

I’ve tried everything to get her to at least say hi or something. Made her favorite food, nothing. Offered to take her to get that new console, Xbox three something. Got nothing. Nothing I did made her even look at me. I hurt her badly, I know that. I’m trying to apologize if she’d just let me.

Watching this lot was hard to do, these puny bastards who couldn’t handle my daughter out doing them. Liam and his pathetic excuse of an officer father was down there too.

Why I had to be here, I have no idea. Not going down there, though, can’t be pleasant with those people.

Though my attention is captured as Price walked in with Tweedy. I don’t think willingly, but they both look extremely pissed off. Making my way down the steps, “What’s going on, John?”

Price glanced over at McCarthy, “McCarthy wants Tweedy to do the gun range against Liam. You and I know what that means, and so does she.”

That slimy fucking cunt, there is no way my daughter is going to go easy on that late-term abortion. Knowing she won’t listen to me, and not wanting to fight her battle for her, I’m left helpless. Something I’ve never felt so much before.

“There you are, Private MacMillian,” McCarthy’s phony smile doesn’t go over my head, “and you’re here too, Vince? How’re you doing?”

“Just fine,” my shoulders roll slightly.

“Weird having our kids here, isn’t? After all these years. In fact, let’s do that now,” he clasps his hands together rather loudly, “I’m sure you know how good my son is.”

I’m biting my tongue so hard that I think I’m going to bite it clean off. This bastard, this joke of an officer is such a worthless sack of shit. Why even say it like that?

Three reasons he did come through the door, his buddies. I can’t recall any of their ranks, all I know is they’re below Price and I. Which means I don’t have to fake being nice to them, I can do whatever I want.

“There you guys are,” he shakes their hands, “wait until you see how good Liam is.”

“Vince?” The fuck is his name again?

“Yes?”

“It’s Spencer, remember?”

“Oh, right, Spencer! How’re you doing?” The name sounded familiar, at least.

“Good, good,” his eyes trail over to Tweedy, “that can’t be Catronia, can it?”

Tweedy nodded, “Private MacMillian,” her eyes squinted slightly. He knows her, so he had to be a friend at least. I don’t remember him at all.

Spencer grabs my shoulder, “Looks just like you, Vince.”

McCarthy’s obvious anger is hilarious, though I don’t show it. Glad this lad said something, even if I can’t remember who the hell he is. I’ll be buying him a drink later just for doing that.

“Anyway, let’s get to the shooting,” McCarthy held an M4A1 out to her, Liam holding the same type.

Tweedy looks back at me for a moment, before solemnly walking towards the range. She stared down at the floor in front of her until McCarthy was done explaining stupid shit that his son should already know about.

The first round goes through, and she holds back. My heart is breaking because I know how hard it is for her to do that. She doesn’t want to get me in trouble, or even herself, but that brat taunted her the same. Knowing that she has to hold back because his daddy will get mad.

There’s the second round, P90s and, again, she even misses targets. Price is rocking on his heels, grinding his teeth that this was happening. Maybe even because _I_ was letting it happen.

“Didn’t get your shooting, I guess,” Spencer glances at me.

And to twist the knife, last is sniping. Tweedy grabbed the Intervention how you should hold it, and surprise, surprise, that idiot doesn’t. He almost dropped the fucking thing.

I’m not letting her do this, “Catronia,” she looks over her shoulder, “ _destroy this little bitch_.”

Her eyes finally lit up again, gripping the weapon tightly in her hands. With nothing more than a nod, she turns back to the range. And. She. Decimates. Him. He missed seven out of the fifteen shots, and my Tweedy missed absolutely none.

“There it is!” Spencer claps loudly, but he stops suddenly. “Hey, uh, MacMillian.”

She turns around, “Me?”

“Yeah, your skills… did you throw the first two rounds?”

“Yeah, she did,” I growl, “McCarthy’s brat is mad that she’s better than him. Threatened to punish me because I wouldn’t tell her to tone it down. She shouldn’t have to.”

Spencer crosses his arms, “Are you serious? I thought that rumor was fake, that you ARE holding his hand. You can’t hold a soldier’s hand, what the hell, McCarthy?”

McCarthy stutters for a moment, “I did no such thing!”

“Bullshit,” Tweedy snaps, “your kid sucks.”

“I’ll-“

“You won’t do shit,” Spencer walked over to my side, “I’m _Lieutenant Colonel_ Spencer, remember?”

Not being able to hold in the laugh, it bellows out of me. I couldn’t help it; he was put into his place! I honestly don’t remember how I know Spencer, but I’ll pretend that I do. He out ranked me, sure, but at least he’s on my side of things.

Spencer crosses his arms, “I think Liam needs to go through basic again. BASIC, basic. Gotta reteach him how to be a solider, not a brat.”

“Agreed,” Price nodded his head once, “this is just embarrassing.”

Both of the McCarthys glare at the three of us, the three that proved he was useless. Not only that, but people also knew how he was holding his son’s hand. Can’t wait for them to find out, and I might be the one who tells everyone.

Shaking his head, “It was nice seeing you and Price again. Was hell to get you two out of Pripyat, but I’m glad I was there. You two standing your ground like that was astonishing.”

“Thanks for getting us out,” I hold my hand out to him.

“Course. Let me know if you guys need help,” he shakes my hand.

Tweedy looks at me, she’s conceding me. It’s not much, but at least she’s _looking_ at me.

///

I’m sitting across from Tweedy as we eat dinner, and she’s finally acknowledging me again. Though, there hasn’t been a whole lot said from her end. It’s either a word answer or a sentence, not her talkative self.

“Catronia,” I begin, “I’m incredibly sorry, I should’ve just stood my ground.”

She’s pushing her food around, “Sorry is hard to take. Having my own father telling me I need to slow down, when all you’ve done is wind me up. Like because I’m a female, I have to make sure the males can keep up with me. It really hurt, Da, I’m not going to lie.”

“I understand that, and I have no excuse for letting that happen. If it makes you feel any better, McCarthy got an Article Fifteen. Talks about a demotion too.”

“That helps a little. I’m just glad that he can’t hold Liam’s hand anymore. It was so uncomfortable. I mean, I know momma boys exist, but what Liam had was somehow worse.”

“Completely,” I take a bite of an asparagus spear, “Price said the same thing too, after everything was said and done.”

“So, is the offer about the Xbox still on the table?”

A laugh escapes me, “Of course, Tweedy.”


	8. Why Is He Special?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And it happened. MacMillian's nightmare has finally come true. Catronia, for the first time in her life, is showing romantic interest. And Captain MacMillian is not here for it.

** Catronia Twenty-One Years Old **

Trying to find some silence from everyone in my office because I have a huge headache. The pills I took for it aren’t working as fast as they should, it feels like there’s a hammer slamming against the side of my head. Too much interaction with idiots today.

And again, Price SOMEHOW knows where I am. I’m thinking of being checked for a tracking chip or something. He strolls in, “FNG showed up today.”

My fingers resting against my temples, “Oh, right. How’s he doing?”

“Well,” he sits down across from me, “he and Gaz got into it. I think it’s going to be rather fun to see someone snap back at Gaz, instead of just Tweedy. Best friend or not, he gets on her nerves.”

“Believe me, I know. He irritates me sometimes too. FNG is a Scot too, right?”

“MacTavish, though he’s referred to as Soap.”

“What? Why?”

“No idea. I asked and didn’t get an answer.”

Sighing slightly, “What about Tweedy?”

Price smirks and I do not like the way he’s doing it. It’s something I’ve never seen before on his face, and he’s pulling a photo out of his pocket. “First picture. I think the two of them are going to get along great,” he holds it out to me.

I almost snatch it out of his hand, to see what he’s talking about. Another thing I’ve never seen before, her smiling like that. That smile on her face was foreign and I didn’t like it.

The two of them are sitting on some steps, smiling at each other. “What were they smiling about?”

Price shrugs, “Something I think you’d like. They’ve already bonded over the Glasgow football club, which is good for you.”

“I suppose that… weakens the blow…”

“Blow?”

Looking back down at the picture, “I’ve never seen Tweedy smile like that. Then this… _boy_ … comes along.”

Price is chuckling at me as he leans back in his chair, “C’mon, it’s probably nothing. They just met, so I highly doubt it’s not whatever it is you’re thinking. She’s not interested in that stuff, remember?”

“Aye,” I slide the picture back to him, “you better be right about that.”

“Oh, it’s fine. You’re just going into protective ‘da’ mode. Any father sees a boy around his daughter all have the same internal reaction. It’ll go away, you can’t tell me you weren’t worried with Ian.”

“She was a teenager then,” I lean back in my chair, “different now that she’s an adult.”

Price snickers, “Well, guess what his first name is?”

“Soap? I don’t know, Alec?”

“Nope, it’s John.”

“Oh, piss off,” I shoo him away, “get out of my office, you ass.”

All I get in return is Price laughing loudly as he left my office. That cheeky bastard thinks he’s funny when he’s not. He’s just an ass.

///

So, it’s been almost two months since _Soap_ joined my daughter’s team. Price is becoming fond of the lad; Gaz and he are getting along too from what I’m told. I may be a little older, but I can tell that boy has a thing for Tweedy.

Which needs to go away because she won’t reciprocate it. Soften the blow for him, but she’d kill me if I said anything.

Speaking of which, my door opens. And dear God no, that smile is bigger. Her eyes are different too, this can’t be it. She can’t just suddenly decide she has a romantic bone in her body.

“How’re you, sweetheart?” I pretend I haven’t noticed anything.

“I’m good,” she sits down in front of me.

There’s a silence spell, trying to figure out how to gauge what she’s doing. This is new territory that I thought I’d never have to tread. In her entire life, she never even played with the idea of relationships.

Then that lad shows up and everything goes out the window? No, that’s not how things work!

“Is Soap still getting along with Gaz?” I try to jest.

She sighs lightly, “Around me, anyway. I nearly bit their heads off about it, but if it’s not in front of me, I don’t care.”

“Boys will be boys, Princess.”

“He thinks Soap has a crush on me,” well, duh, darling it’s not that hard to see.

“Why does he think that?”

“Soap’s Scottish, so he found out that using our slang around Gaz bothered him. It makes me laugh, the insult and Gaz’s reaction to it.”

“Fitting in nicely, then. All four of you are assholes to each other together. Glad it’s working out.”

Tweedy slightly plays with her hair, “He’s a really sweet guy. It’s nice to have someone other than Gaz to talk to. And he’s an amazing artist, you should really look at his drawings when you get a chance.”

“Drawings?”

“Yeah, he has a journal. He even drew me, and it looks _exactly_ like me. I can’t draw stick figures, and he can draw excellently. He’s even sketched out how the places will look when we get there for missions.”

I stare at my daughter for a moment, “Why did he draw you?”

“Don’t know,” she shrugs, “but it’s a really good drawing, Da. And before you think something weird, he drew other people too. Price and Gaz included.”

“That’s comforting.” It’s not, it’s really not.

Still playing with the tip of her ponytail, “He’s smart too, and… he’s kind of cute.”

_Cute._ The boy was now _cute_ , and it came from Tweedy’s mouth. This is not happening; I can’t deal with something I’ve never had to deal with in twenty-one years. This isn’t fair.

“Cute, darling? Thought you weren’t interested in stuff like that.”

She slightly huffs, “I find men attractive, just not the whole dating and everything else. I wouldn’t even know what to do.”

“Okay, okay,” I put my hands up.

“Something though…”

“Something?”

“Those eyes,” she looks up.

“Eyes? What?”

“His eyes, Da. They’re beautiful. Frozen over ponds, cracking with snow at the edges.”

“So, uh… is he… single?”

Tweedy’s eyes go from that odd gleaming thing to straight fury. Her hands turning into fists, she could catch on fire from the anger she’s radiating. “He is because his ex-wife is fucking miserable cow.”

“Ex-wife? How old is he again?”

“Twenty-five, but I don’t think that matters.”

“Course not, was just curious. Kind of young to have an ex-wife already. What’d the miserable cow do?”

“They got married two years prior, then Soap wanted to join the military. That whore stood by him, up until she sends him a fucking ‘Dear John,’ letter. In that fucking letter she lets him know that she was expecting with his so-called best friend and that she wanted to divorce him. Couldn’t handle him being in the military.”

I shake my head, “Same boat as your mother.”

“I don’t get how she could do something like that to him! He’s such a sweet, smart guy and she does something like that? How do you even…. Ugh! I’d throttle her myself, that stupid wench.”

I’m at a loss for words on how to reply to any of that since she was already on edge. I think some of her anger is coming from what her mother did to her, so I’m wary about my words.

“Well, he seems to be adjusted from it. Better to know now, than years down the line. The trash took itself out.”

There’s a small knock on the door, and his ears must have been burning. “Am I interrupting something?” Soap asks, hand still on the knob.

Again, Tweedy’s face changes in an instant. Going back to the glint in her eyes and that smile on her face. I knew it. She’s interested too, I’m sure of it. That expression was never on her face before.

“Of course not,” she turns in her chair to look at him, “is everything okay?”

“Yeah, well sort of, Gaz is looking for Price and we can’t find him. Thought he’d be in here with you and your dad.”

I stand, “I don’t think I’ve be formally introduced to you yet, lad,” walking around my desk to be able to shake his hand. Maybe try to figure out what she saw because I didn’t see much.

“Guess we haven’t,” he holds his hand out, “I’m Sergeant MacTavish.”

Gripping his hand, at least he has a strong handshake. “Nice to meet you, about time I’ve met you.” Can he tell I’m sizing him up?

Tweedy walks over to us, and Jesus fucking Christ they have the same look. The eyes, the smile, the body language. What was she seeing? This scrawny, mop-toped string bean was stealing her heart? How?

“You know, I think you, Price and I should go out for drinks later,” I pat his shoulder roughly.

“What about me?” Tweedy crosses her arms.

“Guy time, sweetheart. Haven’t gone to the pub in a good minute.”

“Should I tell Gaz, then?”

Soap shook his head, “I’m fine with Price and… your dad. Plus, he’s neck deep in technical stuff.”

Her eyes run over me; I think she knows what I’m doing. Will she call me out on it? Will she admit that her crush on him was real? I don’t think she will, which is humorous to me.

“Hope you guys have fun,” she tries to not stomp as she leaves.

Soap turns to follow her, “That’s not until tonight, you still owe me a ping-pong game, remember?”

“Oh, you mean so I can beat you again?” Her smile light.

“I keep telling you, you got lucky last game. I was tired.”

“If that’s what you tell yourself.”

His eyes shift from me, to her, to me and to her again. “So, uh… see you tonight, Captain.”

Watching as the two of them walk off with each other, able to hear Tweedy giggle, a giggle I’ve never heard. While the boy was energetically telling her a story about something I can’t quite make out. Great. Just. Great.

///

We’re a few drinks in, and so far, I’m not impressed in the slightest. Sure, Soap’s smart, but I couldn’t see anything else. He’s scrawny, that hair and she even outranks him. Not by much, but she still does. Though, he keeps dodging the questions if Tweedy is mentioned at all.

But I’m sure if I got slightly hostile, Tweedy would find out and she’d be really pissed off. It’s a nice time, however, I keep getting stuck on her showing interest for the first time in twenty-one years. What was so special about this one? Why is he so different to her?

“Are you glad you got settled with us?” I ask him, sipping from my glass of Guinness.

Soap nods, “Of course I am. Outside of Gaz being the occasional asshole, I’m quite happy.”

“What about Tweedy?”

Price shoots me a look, knowing damn well what I’m trying to do. He’s the one who brought it up to me in the first place! Telling me that I was hallucinating Tweedy’s interest because he nor Gaz could see ANYTHING. He should know me by now, how the hell did he expect me not to ask?

“I enjoy talking with Cat, we have a lot in common. Plus, she’s slowing down with the FNG hazing stuff,” he’s not looking at me, “kind of wish Gaz would get the message too, but I don’t see that happening,” he laughs slightly.

Price chuckles himself, “Don’t hold your breath on that one, lad.”

Cracking my neck quietly, “In common, huh? Like what?”

“Well, we watch the same sports and like the same teams. Same with music, only artists instead of teams. She’s creative, she was able to explain colors to me in her writing that never mentioned it at all. I doodle here and there… smaller things, plus she’s really easy to talk to.”

“I see…” I watch as the boy squirms slightly in his chair, probably wanting to change the subject.

The three of us are quiet, Price glaring daggers at me. He warned me not to talk about this, that I should get to know him as a person. Not as some guy that has a ‘crush’ on his daughter.

Which is hard to do when he doesn’t even know how to hide it. Even harder when I have zero experience with any of this.

Soap stands up from the table, “This was fun, it really was. But I’ve been up for eighteen hours, so I’m going to hit the hay. It was nice talking with you, Captains.”

“Have a nice night, lad,” Price mutters, still glaring at me.

“Sleep well.”

He doesn’t hang around, leaving the pub as quickly as he could. Maybe I won’t get an earful from Tweedy, but I’m pretty sure Price is about to dig into me.

“Couldn’t even try to get to know him as another human being, Mac? Really?”

“Look,” I push my glass away, “this is new to me, I don’t know how to talk to someone who quite obviously has a thing for my only child.”

“The boy is trying his hardest to be respected within our unit, can’t you at least give him that? It’s not like Tweedy feels the same way, and I enjoy talking to a new person too.”

“Ah,” I shake my head, “probably right, but it’s too late now, isn’t it?”

“Just a little bit,” he bites back at me.

“Alright, I’ll try taking it easier on him, okay? It’s just hard.”

“Well, try harder,” Price crosses his arms, “the lad is okay. He knows how to handle himself in battle and is quite skilled as well. Should see him with a sniper, Mac. Might wow you.”

Maybe the sniping thing is what’s drawing Tweedy in. Another sniper, Gaz couldn’t shoot a sniper for shit. Price helped teach her to a degree, so having another person in the mix that understands the science of it. If it’s not it, then I have no idea.


	9. Dropping the Bomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year is passed, everything became hectic during the time. MacMillian finally has time to spend with his daughter. That's when Catronia tells him something that has been bugging her and MacMillian was speechless, to say the least.

** Catronia Twenty-Two Years Old **

I can’t believe it’s been a year since the bridge incident. Price, Gaz and the nice guy, Griggs, who both Tweedy and Soap expressed to me as being nice. All three of them have been gone for a year. It’s like I blinked, and we were here. Crazy, isn’t it?

Those two are still affected by it, they always will be. Something died in both of them, and my heart hurts to see that in Tweedy. Maybe Soap too, but I’m more focused on her. However, they did hold each other up and took care of each other.

Not to mention Soap helped explain how she was doing when I couldn’t get a word out of her. I was thankful he knew, but also slightly jealous because she wouldn’t let me know herself. Why didn’t she shut him out? I keep getting more and more ‘why’s’ about this boy.

Speaking of which, my daughter and I are dining in a restaurant. There’s been no time for me to pop in on her. Finally, there was a break, and I could finally come spend time with her. Which I haven’t been able to do for months.

“Hey, Da, I need to tell you about something,” she mutters as she looks down at her plate.

“What is it, Princess?” Her mood shift caught me off guard.

It’s something important because she’s scratching the top of the table with one of her fingernails, something she’d done her entire life. A few moment’s pass with her saying nothing, but suddenly, she looks up at me.

“Soap and I have been dating for a year.”

“D-dating? Dating, dating?”

She nods, “We’ve been together, romantically for the last year. I wanted to tell you in person, but there hasn’t been any time to do that.”

My brain searches for the right thing to say, but there’s nothing. Catronia has been dating Soap for a year, the only boyfriend she’s ever had. And I still don’t know why he’s so special than any other boy. Even though I’ve tried hard to see it, I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.

“Well, I’m happy for you both. I’m glad that you found someone who broke the twenty-two-year curse you were under,” I try to quip.

“You’re taking it better than I thought you would,” she smiles at me.

“If you’re happy, I’m happy,” I hold my glass up, “I wish you both the best.”

Tweedy’s smile gets bigger, “Thank you, Da,” she clinks it against mine.

///

Alright, where is that little bastard? I’ve been looking ALL day and I can’t find him. I know he’s a string bean and all of that, but it can’t be this hard to find someone.

This base wasn’t big, it’s a fourth the size of Credenhill. Yet, here I am, and _I cannot find him_. My job is to find people, and I can’t find this kid.

However, Tweedy’s hair catches my eyes. I’m irritated, she’s going to tell me where he is. That I want to _congratulate_ him as well. He deserves it, right? The first and only man that took her heart, still don’t know how! How can I ask that without it sounding like I’m being a cunt?

As I approach her, I slow down a little bit. That wasn’t him, was it? Instead of finding that string bean, I’m looking at a study guy, almost double the muscle mass I saw last time.

He cut his hair into a mo-hawk, had facial hair and I never noticed how tall he actually is. Not taller than me, but he’s a good height.

“Hey, Princess,” I stroll over. Holy shit, this actually is him. Lieutenant MacTavish. How the hell…

“Hey, Da,” she hugs me.

Soap and I lock eyes for a moment, him shifting on his heels. Guess Tweedy _did_ tell him that I know, and he knows that I know that he’s been dating her for a year. Kind of dizzy.

“How’re you doing, Mac?” Soap holds his hand out to me.

“Good, and you?” I squeeze his hand harder than I usually do. Didn’t faze him anyway.

“Quite well,” he squeezes my hand back just as hard.

Tweedy looks between us for a few moments, “You won’t believe what Soap has done, Da,” she’s smiling brightly at me.

“Oh?” This bastard is holding eye contact with me. He barely _looked_ in my direction last time I saw him.

She bumps her arm into his, making him break eye contact with me. He rolls his shoulders, “Shepherd greenlit the Task Force I requested. We were actually on our way to get the folders to choose two soldiers.”

“Really? That’s quite impressive, _Soap_.”

“Thank you, sir,” he looks at Tweedy, “so, uh, I’ll go grab the folders so you and your dad can talk.”

“Okay, love.”

As he turns to walk away, she grabs his wrist. Tugging him back slightly, she stands on her tiptoes. I don’t need to see this, Tweedy, knock it off. Please.

Soap looked to me for a moment, and I swear to God, he shot me a smirk. He lightly places his lips against hers, and then goes back on his merry way. The lad has balls now, something I wanted to break.

Glancing at me, she watches as he walks away, “why are you being a dick?”

“Dick? I said it was impressive.”

“That tone you used on his name, Da, I’m not stupid. Is there something wrong with John?”

Nothing other than that bastard is dating you, kissing you and trying to get smart with me without you noticing, “John, eh?” I completely forgot his name, because I completely forgot about him until Tweedy told me.

“Yes, it is. I’m really proud of him too…”

Running my hand over my face, “Like I said, I’m impressed. I’m still getting used to… you two… being… something.”

Tweedy crosses her arms, “Together. I think the word you’re looking for is together.”

“Yeah, that word.”

“Da, I know this is new to you and everything, but I really do love Soap. He really loves me too; he treats me amazingly and he’s just perfect to me.”

I lean against a wall, “Perfect, Tweedy?”

“Yes, perfect. Soap’s smart, funny, and charming. I can talk to him about anything and everything. He made sure I was never alone, even when I went into that severe depression after the bridge. We didn’t speak, but he would just sit with me or lay with me.”

Ignoring the _lay_ part, “I’m glad you two had each other, darling, I truly am, but I’m still your father. Not to mention you’ve never done this before. I still don’t get why he’s so special.”

“Maybe I’m with him because he’s the only man I could ever fall in love with. Ever think of that?”

“That didn’t cross my mind.”

“And you’re acting like he’s not a good person! If you spent five minutes with him, actually getting to know him and talking to him you’d know that.”

Shaking my head slightly, “I’m trying to get used to it. You have to give me some slack. People talk about how hard it is to raise girls, and I braced myself for the crushes and dating that teenagers do. You do absolutely none of that, I let it go and boom! Twenty-two years old and now you’ve started it.”

“It’s not like we’re teenagers and this is some puppy love rubbish that’ll go away in a few weeks. We’re adults, and even though he’s the only time I’ve been with anyone, I know that he is the one for me.”

“Tweedy, I understand all of that. I need you to understand that this is new to me, so I’m trying to figure out what I’m meant to be doing.”

“Maybe getting to know him?”

“Would love to, but you let me talk to him one on one?”

She shakes her head, “No, because I don’t want you saying something stupid or offensive. I’ve heard things you’ve said, so I have to babysit you.”

I roll my eyes, “I don’t need you to babysit our conversation. He’s a big boy, isn’t he? Is he not an officer?”

“Yeah, but I am too. I’m not going to let you treat him like he’s _not_ an officer.”

“Then how do I get to know him?” I scoff.

“By talking to him when he’s around,” she mimics my scoff.

“Don’t take that tone with me, young lady,” scolding her, “officer or not, I’m still your father.”

“Ugh, whatever, fine,” she hugs me quickly, “I have to go help Soap look at the potential soldiers.”

Tweedy stomps away from me, for someone in uniform, she’s acting like quite the brat. Not like I did anything; I just want to know why Soap is the one she picked. Sure, he’s buffed up and everything, but there has to be something I’m not seeing. What drew her to him in the first place?


	10. Soap's Smirk. MacMillian's Anger.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MacMillian finds himself at the end of his rope when it comes to his daughter's choice in dating. While Sergeant MacTavish was afraid of MacMillian', Lieutenant MacTavish gained an attitude that MacMillian needed to break. 
> 
> Little does MacMillian know, the boy might be okay.

This is not getting better, and I’m not the only one who’s being a cunt. Soap makes gestures to me, or smirks at me when I try to not slip into father mode. Even the way he says certain things makes my blood boil. I bring it up to Tweedy, and I’m just _seeing things_. I’m seeing your boyfriend is a little bastard!

Sergeant MacTavish has gotten quite the attitude now that he was an officer. Where did it even come from? He used to be skittish around me, like a lap dog.

Now, _Lieutenant_ MacTavish thinks he can go toe to toe with me. Something he could never do, but I’ll let him think that. If it makes him feel better, fine.

Tweedy isn’t picking it up very well, at least from his side. She’s scolded him, flicked him, and nudged him when he was being an asshole back. All he does is apologize, look at me when she’s not looking, and he grins! Like a child! He is so infuriating! And I can’t do a motherfucking thing about it!

Every time I think I’ve got him alone; she comes out of nowhere. Given he never moved when I tried to dig into him, which means she was near. I don’t know where, but she would hear me ripping this little brat apart. Again, why is this one any different?! Afraid of the male friends she had when she was younger, and instead of that, I get this!

Physically, I think I see something now. A thought went through my mind, about how she mentioned she liked ‘abs’ when she was speaking with her friends as teenagers. Well, he sure had that now, his arms were bigger now and he’s intimidating. Completely changed the way he looks, and she still loves him all the same.

Something else is the prick is smart, extremely smart. Not only in general, but the way he ran the field from what I understand. All of his planning meticulous, from the field to how he’s going to spite me. Always under the radar and always thoroughly thought out. Like a dobber, I hate it.

But this attitude of his, how was this attractive to her? I get it, he probably doesn’t act like this towards her, how does she not catch it? It seems that he’s only like that toward me, the very _last_ person to give this arrogance to. I outrank him and I will throw him into a PT that he wouldn’t be able to make it through. He keeps testing me.

Thinking about it makes me so mad, I’m going to grab a drink to help calm me down. Price always spoke highly of him, taking him under his wing the same I did with him. Tweedy loves him, most people have nothing but positive things to say. Then it came to me, and he’s an ass.

Low and behold, that maggot is sitting by himself in the pub. Newspaper in his hands, which means he probably doesn’t have his shield, my daughter. I wait a couple of minutes, he’s still reading, and she doesn’t show up. I got you, you little shit.

I had to go now before he left, so I almost knock over two people on my way in. I’ve been in here enough that they know my drink, so I nod at them to bring me it.

As he’s getting ready to leave, I slide in across from him. Soap looks at me and he actually sits back down. “How’re you doing, Mac?”

“I’m doing well,” I watch as my drink is set down, “you?”

“Just peachy, I suppose.”

“Where’s Tweedy?”

“Oh, she’s sick, so she’s probably asleep.”

That’s all I needed to hear. She doesn’t deal very well with being sick, usually keeping herself in a _NyQuil_ induced coma. Which means she can’t swoop in and stop me from putting this idiot through the wringer.

We’re quiet for the moment, both of us holding a strong eye contact. Will he make the first move, or do I have to go in first? I’m happy with either because I get to run him over all the same.

“I deeply love Catronia, Mac,” he swings first, “I’ve never cared this much about another person in my entire life until I met her. She means absolutely everything to me, in every way possible.”

Continuing on, “You raised a loyal, honest, diligent and disciplined soldier. Cat handles herself beautifully while we’re out in the field, I never have to worry about her messing up at anything. She knows how to get things done.”

Placing my glass on the table, “Why her? Why did you pick her?”

Soap chuckles lightly as he takes a sip from his drink, “I didn’t. Cat picked me, Mac. I can’t answer why she did because I don’t even know why. Nothing ever chooses Cat, she chose everything. And we both know; she knows how to get what she wants.”

This cheeky little bastard got me, what he just said was true. Tweedy has always marched to the beat to her own drum, very straight forward and has no issues with telling people to get out of her way. She never let anything choose her, she ran her show.

“Oh, so you weren’t interested in her, then?”

Soap’s glare burns deeply into my being, “That is not what I said at all. I fell in love with your daughter right after I met her. Didn’t know how to not be closed off anymore, after the whole ex-wife thing. Cat just brought it out of me, there was just something about her that made it easy to talk to her.”

“That being said, I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. She was an amazing friend; I didn’t want to screw that up. Price told me that she never dated before, she never had a beau growing up. I took that as a nice way of telling me I was wasting my breath, which did hurt.”

Boy knew something at least, “It usually would’ve been, but no, you were different somehow. I don’t know how.”

He shrugged his shoulders, “You and me both. As hard as it was, tried my best to hide it from her. Griggs called me out on it after just a few days and I remember being so paranoid that she might’ve heard it. I didn’t want her to know.”

“So, I just never said anything. Even while healing up in Credenhill, Cat didn’t need me to add anything onto her. She was quiet for so long, so… absent. It was hard for her to ignore me, but I just bit the bullet and made sure I was always near her. I didn’t want her to feel alone. Even if it meant I felt like I was in an icebox.”

 _I know the feeling_ , but this one didn’t need to know. “Yeah… she’s always been good at doing that…”

“Then at some point,” this smile slips across his lips, “we were hiding from everyone. The questions, the stares. It was quiet, she was acting a bit weird. Then she did it. Cat kissed me, and it took all the air out of my lungs. I knew I had her, and she had me.”

Did he really need to tell me about the kissing part? At least it’s confirmed that Tweedy kissed him first, which means I was right. She did have something for Soap, be it a crush or whatever. Now, a year later, they’re together. The side of me being a father wanted to know more about what went on in my absence.

“So, it was Tweedy who initiated all of this, huh?”

Soap nodded, “Yeah, she did. I never felt more… lucky in my entire life. Here Cat was, everything I was missing, she had. After holding my tongue for so long, trying to read her, impossible. She had me, hook, line and sinker.”

I watch as this moron went on and on about Tweedy. Deciding not to question it further, given he had that stupid look on his face. This love-struck dolt loves her, and the other love-struck dolt loves him back. Nothing I can do, at least I’ve come to actually talk to him.

Which made Tweedy right, that I’d like him if I actually spoke to him. I’m not over the moon about any of this, but I can accept that what they had seemed to be real. Lad isn’t so bad after all, still an asshole, though I could understand now. What Tweedy _did_ see.

I guess I’m more content with this, given I can clearly see their feelings. As long as she’s happy, and as long as he treats her right, I accept this. Don’t have much of a choice, anyway. I’ll still grill him from time to time, push his buttons, but I’m sure he’ll return the favor in full.

“Can you shut up about Tweedy for a minute?”

Soap leans back in his chair, “I suppose.”

“Look, I’ll level with you. As her father, I’m always going to watch you. And as you found out through Tweedy, I’m where she gets her asshole side from. I’m not going to jump for joy or anything of the sort. However,” I nod, “I’m glad she has someone worthy of her.”

For once, the grin he gives me isn’t some snarky shot back at me. “I’ll treat her like the Queen you raised her to be, Mac. I can give you my word on that.”

Raising my glass, “I’ll take your word as long as you take mine that if you do anything to her, you’ll mysteriously go missing.”

Chuckling, “That’s better than nothing,” he clinks his glass against mine.

…

I take the tiara veil from her hands, carefully wrapping the crown part across the base of her bun. Pulling the veil down for her, “You look beautiful, Catriona,” my voice breaks again.

She hugs me tightly, “Ready to give me away?”

“No,” I pat her back, “but I know you’re ready.”

Escorting her out of the room, we begin our way towards where the aisle would be, standing behind Dunn and Roach. They both turn around, smiling at both of us.

Ghost steps around us, “Gorgeous, Cat,” He winks over his shoulder.

Price takes his place next to Ghost, “Do we have to link arms?”

“Was about to ask that myself,” Griggs looks at Gaz.

“Yes,” Catriona giggles, “you do. Sandman is recording, just remember that.”

They kind of groan, “Do any of you four want to trade places with me?” Dunn asks.

“No, we’re good.” They four of them share a laugh.

“Get walking,” I point at Ghost and Price.

“Ah, shite,” they hurry to the start of the aisle, but slow down to slowly walk towards the end of it.

Catriona and I will be the last two to exit the room, watching as the other members file out when they’re supposed to file out. She tightens her arm around mine, a little antsy.

Given the two them haven’t seen each other in two weeks. Price and I both explained to them that she walks with me, and Soap doesn’t leave his spot. No matter how badly they want to run to each other.

Here Comes the Bride starts, us slowly walking through the doors and out into the light.

**“MacMillian Becomes MacTavish” Coming Soon. xoxo**


End file.
